Ingredients

Chocolate Cake
• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
• 1 1/2 cups brewed coffee
• 1 Tbsp espresso powder
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
Raspberry Filling
• 4 cups fresh raspberries
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• juice of a lime
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• pinch of salt
Vanilla Buttercream for filling
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1-2 Tbsp cream cheese, room temperature
• 1lb powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• vanilla bean - split the bean and scrape seeds from one half of bean
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2-3 Tbsp milk
Vanilla Buttercream for icing
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 Tbsp cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 1/2 lbs powdered sugar (about 10 cups)
• 2 Tbsp vanilla
• seeds of 1 1/2 vanilla beans
• 1/4-1/2 cup milk
• Wilton Food Coloring Gel - Pink

Instructions

Dark Chocolate Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease and flour 4 8in cake pans.
2. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the coffee, espresso powder, cocoa powder, and vanilla and whisk until combined. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream and the eggs. SLOWLY add a few tablespoons of the chocolate mixture to the sour cream and eggs. Whisk to combine. In a slow stream, whisk in the remaining chocolate mixture until combined completely.
5. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in wet. Using a whisk, stir until no more lumps remain.
6. Divide the batter evenly into the 4 prepared pans. Each pan should get about 1 1/2 heaping cups of batter.
7. Bake 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing from the pans to cool on a wire rack.
8. Once the cakes have cooled, but are still warm, using a cake leveler to cut off the round mound on the top of the cake. Make sure all four layers are the same size.
Raspberry Filling
9. In a large pan, melt the butter.
10. Add the raspberries, sugar and lime and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir continuously so that the raspberries begin to break down.
11. Add the corn starch and stir to combine. Continue to cook until the raspberries thicken, about 2 minutes.
12. Stir in the salt.
13. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before filling cake.
Buttercream (you'll use the same method to make both buttercreams)
14. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese (shortening too if you're making the bc for the outside of the cake).
15. One cup at a time, add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
16. Mix in the vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds and salt.
17. Add enough milk until you reach your desired consistency. Mix on high for about 5 minutes.
To color the frosting:
18. Divide frosting into four bowls. Set one aside that will remain white. Using a toothpick, dab a VERY SMALL amount of the pink dye into one bowl and mix until uniform in color. Use a little bit more color in the next bowl and even more color in the final bowl. The colors should get gradually darker.
To assemble the cake:
19. Place the first layer of cake on a cake board/cake stand. Using the first batch of buttercream, make a border of frosting on the top of the cake along the edge. This will create a space for the raspberry filling and keep it from oozing out the sides.
20. Fill the top open space with 1/2 cup of raspberry filling, spreading evenly.
21. Place the second layer of cake gently on top. Spread a 1/2 inch thick layer of buttercream evenly on top.
22. Place the third layer of cake on top of the frosting and repeat the process used for the first raspberry layer.
23. Finally, place the last cake layer on top. Using the remaining frosting to crumb coat the cake.
24. Freeze cake for 20 minutes before frosting.
Petal Cake Frosting Technique
25. Visit The Hungry Housewife for a complete petal cake frosting tutorial.